Common App vs Bluebook Exams
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Common App
Manage your college applications on the go. This app offers a secure and streamlined way to apply to over 1000 colleges, research financial aid options, and access guidance from counselors, all from your mobile device.
- Apply to 1000+ colleges
- Research financial aid
- Get counselor advice
- Secure application process
- Mobile convenience
Read full descriptionHide full description
Simplify your college application experience with Common App for mobile. Common App for mobile provides you with the same secure, streamlined application experience you’ve come to expect from Common App online, all from the convenience of your mobile device. The app seamlessly integrates with the first-year desktop experience — allowing you to apply to more than 1000 colleges, research financial aid, and get advice from counselors. Common App for mobile is free and easy to use. Download the app to navigate your entire college application journey.
Bluebook Exams
This application allows students to take standardized tests like the SAT, PSAT, and AP Exams directly on their iPads. It provides a digital platform for completing these crucial academic assessments.
- Take SAT Exams
- Take PSAT Exams
- Take AP Exams
- iPad compatible
- Digital testing platform
Read full descriptionHide full description
Students will use Bluebook to take the SAT, PSAT, and AP Exams on iPads.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Common App at 3.0 against Bluebook Exams's 1.4. Common App also leads on chart position (#41 vs unranked) and review sentiment (23% vs 13%). Bluebook Exams's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 9 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Common App holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 1.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 679 and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Common App's written reviews are positive against 13% of Bluebook Exams's.
Common App ships an update every 9 months, Bluebook Exams every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Common App | Bluebook Exams |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (679 ratings) — better | 1.4 (1.1K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 22.9% of reviews — better | 13.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 679 | 1.1K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #41 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Common Application | The College Board |
Customer experience
Common App
Bluebook Exams
User reviews
Common App
From 679 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Convenient mobile app
- 👍 Same functionality as website
- 🎉 Finally available as an app
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔑 Requires re-login every time
- 🚫 Doesn't work for transfer students
Bluebook Exams
From 1.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Clean and intuitive UI
- 👍 Useful practice tests
- 🚀 Smooth testing experience
- 💡 Helpful score explanations
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Security and privacy concerns
- 🔋 High device resource usage
- 👎 Unreliable performance
Bugs and requests
Common App
Reported bugs
3 issues- White screen on login
- App doesn't load past logo
- Redirects transfer students to website
Requested features
3 requests- Keep user logged in for longer
- Increase text box size
- Add back button navigation
Bluebook Exams
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login issues
- Freezing during tests
- Incompatibility with some devices
- Unexpected app behavior
Requested features
4 requests- Dark mode option
- Improved score reporting
- Better mobile optimization
- Expanded practice test library
In-app purchases
Common App
No in-app purchases
Bluebook Exams
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Common App free?
Is Bluebook Exams free?
Which has better reviews, Common App or Bluebook Exams?
Do Common App or Bluebook Exams have ads?
Which is updated more often, Common App or Bluebook Exams?
Other comparisons
